


to a new world

by spideywhiteys



Series: 365 Days of Naruto AUs [75]
Category: Naruto, One Piece
Genre: BAMF Haruno Sakura, Coming of Age, F/M, M/M, No Dialogue, One Piece AU, One Piece Universe, POV Uzumaki Naruto, Royal/Noble Hinata, Royal/Noble Naruto, Royal/Noble Sasuke, Shikamaru is the First Mate, Stream of Consciousness, figuring out feelings, it's all about the journey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 18:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30093480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideywhiteys/pseuds/spideywhiteys
Summary: It starts like this: Naruto is from Uzushio, the capital of the Land of Eddies. He’s the heir, the first and only son of the Uzumaki family; that makes him next in line for the throne whenever his mother and father step down.It ends like this: Naruto, Prince of the Land of Eddies, accidentally becomes a pirate.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Hinata/Nara Shikamaru/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: 365 Days of Naruto AUs [75]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086938
Kudos: 23





	to a new world

**Author's Note:**

> Day 75: One Piece AU / Naruto + Hinata + Shikamaru

It starts like this: Naruto is from Uzushio, the capital of the Land of Eddies. He’s the heir, the first and only son of the Uzumaki family; that makes him next in line for the throne whenever his mother and father step down. 

Naruto is eighteen and doesn’t care much for royalty, or for rules and regulations. The Land of Eddies is a peaceful, powerful country. Well liked and well ruled, rarely seeing outsiders on their shores. Many in the Grand Line consider Uzushio a fairy tale — a country made from stories and dreams. Those in the New World know differently; Uzushio is very real and very much a threat if provoked.

Naruto is eighteen when he leaves the shores of his home in the dead of night, a note on his pillow as the only goodbye to his family. He’ll be back, of course, but not until he’s good and ready. There’s an entire world to explore, a massive road to be traveled. Naruto can’t bring himself to waste away in a high tower of ignorance, steeped only in the knowledge of his homeland. He loves Uzushio, he does — which is why he will return to rule when the time comes. 

It ends like this: Naruto, Prince of the Land of Eddies, accidentally becomes a pirate. 

* * *

The third time Naruto finds himself fleeing from the Marines after kicking a few well deserving asses, he runs straight into a man and, because he’s in the middle of running from arrest, ends up taking the guy with him. Oddly enough the guy is limp over Naruto’s shoulder, a deadweight, sighing so hard that Naruto can feel it shake his own body. 

The guy’s name is Nara Shikamaru. 

He is Naruto’s First Mate.

Shikamaru is smart, loyal and lazy. Every word out of his mouth is sheer brilliance, a complaint, or dry wit. His skin is three or five shades darker than Naruto’s, and his eyes are the same tawny amber as a deer’s pelt. In the sun, they glint caramel gold. There’s no strict care for a put together appearance, he exists as he is and breathes life into Naruto’s world where he had once been alone. 

Naruto is a little bit infatuated; perhaps even more so because Shikamaru does not know him as a Prince, and treats him as a man rather than a higher being. 

After that comes Sasuke and Sakura.  _ Prince _ Sasuke, from the country that borders Uzushio — they eye each other but do not speak of it, refusing to out the other as a runaway royal. Nobles and Royalty are not welcomed in the seedy, poorer parts of this world. Not that Naruto can blame the middle and lower classes for feeling this way. The Celestial Dragons are a stain upon humanity, and their disgusting presence trickles down and raises the egos of anyone with power.

Sakura is the Doctor. She has a bit of temper and a very obvious crush on Sasuke, but she’s capable, resolute, and powerful. He once watched her singlehandedly pluck up a Marine ship from the docks and lob it at another.

The further he travels, the larger their presence becomes. Wanted posters spell their names and flash their images across the world. He wonders what his parents must think of such a thing, and laughs because his own mother had once spent a few years during her rebellious teenage years being a pirate herself. They probably weren’t surprised at all to find him missing all those months ago. Mad, for maybe a few minutes, but not surprised.

* * *

The Kyuubi Pirates are a rag-tag group of people. Naruto doesn’t see a problem with having his crew made up of those from all walks of life. People like Sai, who is hard to read and excessively mysterious but endearingly loyal. People like Ino, who can match Naruto in terms of loudness but likes to use her words to spin circles around people and pick them apart. Or even those like Chouji, who is too soft and kind for the more violent aspects of Piracy, but stalwart in his position as the crew’s cook. It would get rather boring if everyone was the same.

Naruto isn’t good with  _ boring. _ That’s exactly why he’s out at sea instead of being pampered and responsible for princely duties. 

It’s also why he sees no problem kidnapping the Moon Princess from the Ootsutsuki Kingdom when she asks. He’s no stranger to wanting to leave the cage your family (inadvertently or not) placed you in.

Her name is Hinata, and her skin is as white as the title she carries. Her eyes are a shade of amethyst that doesn’t seem real — milky and glimmering. Her hair, in contrast, is the deepest shade of blue-violet he’s ever laid eyes on; a night sky at its darkest hour. She is soft and kind and shy, beaten down but still standing, her feet planted in the ground. Hinata is the type to keep shouldering on until she collapses, and then crawl her way forward until her heart gives out.

Like Shikamaru, she, too, is beautiful. Perhaps in a different way — made of stars and sky and the universe where he is made of the earth, the shadows and the heartbeat of the forest. 

Hinata fills in the little gaps between Naruto and Shikamaru like the perfect puzzle piece. Shikamaru can groan and complain about the people they’ll have on their ass after making such a scene in the Ootsutsuki Kingdom, but Naruto knows the man would have it no other way. Naruto could ask for anything — could ask for the moon — and Shikamaru would plan a route through the stars to make it a reality.

(And so he has.)

Naruto loves his crew. He loves his ship. He loves the taste of ocean salt on the wind and the wide open expanse of never ending blue. He loves his home, too, and a part of him is anticipating his return only so he can tell his family of the adventures he’s been on and the feeling of freedom he reveled in while away. 

There is a different kind of love reserved for the two people who hover at his sides; a girl made of stars and a man built of earth. Revolving around the sun, around Naruto, who yearns to put a name to the emotion that blossoms in his chest.

But it’s okay. The road continues to stretch before them, massive and boundless. There are lands to traverse and oceans to cross, cities to tour and ruins to inspect. 

He has time.  _ They _ have time.


End file.
